Controlling means for batch machines



p 1937- R. L. BRQWN ET AL 2,094,396

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR BATCH MACHINUES Filed Jan. 17, 1936 2Sheets-Sheet'l' P 8, 1937. R. L. BROWN El AL CONTROLLING MEANS FOR BATCHMACHINES Filed Jan. 17, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Sept. 28 1937 iUNITED STATES am ne PATENT OFFICE CONTROLLING MEANS FOR BATCH i VMACHINES Application January 1'7, 1936, Serial No. 59,634

3 Claims.

provide novel means for variably controlling the time of the actualoperation on the batch of material after it is'fed into the machine andbefore it is discharged therefrom, and to do this 20 without necessarilyvarying the time required for the feeding in, or for the discharge ofthe batch, andif desired without varying the speed of rotation of thebeater or other mechanism that operates upon the material in themachine.

Subsidiary objects are to provide separate controls for the feedmechanism, and for the discharge mechanism, so that the length of timethat the material is retained in the operating chamber may be variedwithout changing the 9 times required for the operations of feedingmaterial into such chamber, and for discharging it therefrom.

A further object of our invention is to provide separate controls forthe feed mechanism and discharge door, so that the length of time'thatthe stock is operated upon by the beater may be varied without changingthe times required for the operations of feeding the stock into theduster and of discharging it therefrom.

A further object of the invention is to provide in combination with amachine having a chamher with an inlet and an outlet, means foroperating upon material in said chamber; means for feeding material inthe chamber, means for means for opening and closing the outlet of thechamber, means whereby without stopping ro.

tation of the beater the outlet may be opened and closed at various timeintervals, and means whereby the feed is operated after the outlet isclosed, and stopped when the proper quantity of material is fed into thechamber.

Other minor objects of the invention will be hereinafter set forth.

To facilitate an understanding of the inven-- tion we will describe itas used in connection with a so-called duster of the type shown in ouraforesaid application, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings; theclaims concisely set forth, the novel combinations and arrangements ofparts and novel features of construction for which protection isdesired.

In said drawings: 1 b I Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a batchmachine equipped with our novel controlling means.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of a timing means for variably controllingthe operation of batch machines.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View of a slight modification of the timingmeans for variably controlling the operation of batch machines.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged detail of the discharge door operating mechanism.

The batch machine shown in Fig. 1 comprises a casing I in which is arotatable heater 5 mounted upon a horizontal shaft 6, having pins 9radially projecting from its periphery. Below beater 5 is an arcuatescreen section I4 extending from the feed inlet 20. to an outlet openingclosable by a door 23. Below screen I4 is an air duct i5, through whichscreenings passing through screen M can be removed; or such screeningscan be removed by mechanical means.

Above the beater is-an arcuate screen section l1 extending from a pointadjacent the outlet opening to a point adjacent the inlet. Adjacent theupper end of screen I! is a throw-out pocket A having an adjustable wallor plate 25. Above screen i! is an air duct l8 having an intake 20.Through this duct light'foreign matters which pass through the screen I!can be removed.

The annular space between the periphery of the beater 5 and the screens14, ll, etc. forms a chamber in which the material is operated uponwhile in the machine.

A batch of material may be fed into said operating chamber through theinlet opening 2a in any suitable way. Preferably we use a feed conveyor2'! running over a driven roll 21a.

The construction and operation of the aforesaid'rnachine is fullydescribed in our aforesaid application and therefore further explanationthereof herein is unnecessary. Further the said machine is merelyreferred to as illustrative and not limiting, as our invention isapplicable to various kinds and constructions of batch machines.

The beater 5 may be rotated by any suitable means. As shown it may bedriven by a belt. 29 from an electric motor 39, said belt running over apulley on shaft 6, and a pulley on the motor.

The feed conveyor belt 27 may be intermittently driven by any suitablemeans. As shown (see Fig. 2) it is driven by a belt 5!, running over apulley on roll 21a and a pulley on a stub shaft 53, carrying a gear 50,driven by intermediate gears 49-48 from a gear segment 41' on thefloating member 4% of a magnetic clutch 42,.loosely mounted on a shaft43, carrying the fixed memer 42a of the clutch. Shaft 43- can be rotatedby belt 44-running over a pulley 43a-on shaft 43 and a pulley- 45a ofmotor 45. The magnetic member 42a of the clutch 42 is fixed on shaft 43and rotates therewith.

The floating member 42b of the clutch carries a cam 46 engaged by a pin23d on an arm 23c attached to the hinge shaft 23a (Fig. 1) of dischargegate 23, and by oscillating arm 230 the discharge gate can be opened andclosed.

When the clutch is energized and during the time pin 23d is engaged withthe annular portion 46d of the cam, the arm 230 will be depressed andhold the gate 23 in closed position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1.

At the proper time during its rotation the cam will permit roller 23d totraverse portion 46a of the cam (which portion. is curved on an arccoaxial with shaft 23a), and arm 230 will rise and permit door 23 todrop intobpen position as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Upon furtherrotation of cam- 46 the arm 230 will be depressed by the portion 460 ofcam 46 and" close door 23 and hold it closed while pin 23d traverses theannular portion 46d of the race.

The feed belt 2'! and door 23 may be operated alternately andintermittently at the proper times by the motor 45, independently of themeans which rotate the beater.

The magnetic clutch 42 is controlled by an independent timingcircuit.hereinafter described so that while the beater is rotated constantly,the length of. time between the feeding and discharging operati'onsmaybe varied to suit the particular material being treated; and thus thematerial may be subjected'to treatment in the operating chamberforlonger or shorter periods, without necessarily varying the speed of'rotation of The time required for proper treatment of batches ofmaterial in the machine will vary according to the kind and quality ofthe material, and to enable this time to be readily varied we providemeans for controlling the feed and discharge operations independently ofthe means for actually operating on the batch in the machine, so thatthe time required for feeding in a batch of a given material and fordischarging sam after it is operated upon can remain constant; while thetime interval between the feeding and the discharging operations mayvary according to the lengths of the actual operations on the material.

Fig. 2 diagrammatically illustrates the timing circuit. As shown, themagnetic clutch member 42a is connected in a circuit 38 including asource of electrical energy 39, and a normally closed switch 4EI-4lhaving one contact 43 projecting into the path of a stud 420 on thefloating member 42b of the clutch, whereby once at each rotation ofmember 422) the switch 43- 3! will be caused to open the electricalcircuit 38.

The closing of circuit 38 is adjustably regulable by a normally openswitch 3l32, having its member 3| mounted on a spring 33 and con nectedto a solenoid 52. The switch 3I32 is closed at the desired intervals bya pin 34a on a gear 34 driven by intermediate gears from a motor31,.which may be either an electrical or a time motor. When switch 3i 32is closed a circuit will be closed through the conductors 38, solenoid52, and switch 4Il4i and energize the magnetic clutch 42. switch 3i32 inclosed position until the said circuit is opened as described below.

When circuit 38 is closed the magnetic clutch is energized and theclutch member 4%, after making substantially one revolution opens thenormally closed switch ie-4!. This opening is only momentary but theinstant it is effected the circuit 38 containing the magnetic clutch,the switch 3l32 and the solenoid 52 is broken. As solenoid 52 isde-energized the spring 33 opens the switch 3l-32 and the circuitremains open until established again at switch 3l-32. As gear 34 iscontinually revolved, stud 34a will at the desired interval of timeagain close switch 3l-32.

When the magnetic clutch is energized cam 43 will be caused to turn onerevolution, during which the discharge door 23 is first opened, and thenclosed; and the conveyor 2? is operated to feed in a fresh batch ofmaterial. When segmental gear 4'! has made one revolution, pin 420 onclutch member 4212 opens the normally closed switch 404I; therebyde-energizing the clutch and stopping rotation of cam 43, and alsode-energizing the solenoid 52 thus permitting switch 3I32- to open. Thefiy wheel eifect of cam 46 is such that, after the contact at 4!l4l ismomentarily opened, the cam coasts far enough so that the contact isagain established at 404!. Then switch 40-4! again closes. But as gear34 is continually revolved, stud 34a will at the desired interval oftime again close switch 3 |32.

By controlling the speed of rotation of gear 34 a variable total periodfor the complete cycle of operation is obtained; a portion of such cycleis .r;

a fixed time for discharging, a fixed time for charging (such timesbeing fixed in extent by reason of the constant speed of shaft 43 andthe single revolution of gear 34) and a variable time of actualoperation upon the batch of material in the machine.

By providing separate controls for the feed and discharging periods, thelength of time the material is operated upon in the machine may bevaried, increased or decreased as desired without changing the timesrequired for the feeding and discharging operations.

The timing unit (34;353631) may be located at a point remote from theduster; as the shaft 43, operating the feed and discharge mechanism, isconnected with the timing unit through the electrical circuit 38.

The time required for operation of the feeding and discharge can remainconstant; but the time for. the actual operation on material can bevaried The solenoid 52 will hold H according to the quality of thematerial being treated; for instance by means of our novel controls thefeed may be operated for .03 of a minute and the discharge for .02 of aminute; while the beating operation may require from .05 to .50 of aminute, so that the total cycle of operations (including discharging,feeding and operation on or processing of material) would range from .10to .55 of a minute respectively; in each of such cycles the time of theactual operation is varied but the feed and discharge times remainunchanged.

Thus the time of the actual operation on material can be readily variedwithout aflecting the actual times required for the operations of thefeed or discharge, although the intervals between the feeding anddischarging operations would vary according to the lengths of the actualoperations on the material.

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the mechanism operating on thematerial is driven by a belt 29 from an electric motor 39. The feedconveyor 21 may be intermittently driven by a belt from a pulley onshaft 56, which carries a gear 50 driven by intermediate gears 48 from agear segment 41 on the floating member 4212 of a magnetic clutch mountedon a shaft 43 carrying the fixed clutch member 42a. The shaft 43 may beconstantly driven by belt M from a motor 45. The floating clutch member42b carries a cam 46c, engaged by a. roller I l3a. on a bar 9 l3engaging an arm 23c attached to shaft 23a on which discharge door 23 ismounted.

Whenthe clutch members are engaged cam #60 is rotated in the directionof the arrow, and while the roller on bar I I3 is traversing the annularportion a of the cam, arm 23c will be kept in depressed position andhold the discharge door closed. As the cam rotates the roller H311, onbar H3 engages the part y of the cam which permits bar H3 to rise, andthe door to move to open position, and remain open until the roller onbar H3 again engages portion a: of the cam.

Clutch member 42a is connected in an electrical circuit 38, including asource of electrical energy 39, a solenoid 52, and a normally openswitch 3l32, and a normally closed switch 404|, the contact member 40 ofsaid switch being engageable by a pin 420 on clutch member 42b,

once during each rotation of said member, to

open the switch and break the electrical circuit 38 to member 42a.

The interval of time between the closing of circuit 38 is regulated bythe normally open switch 3l-32, the member 3! of which is normally heldopen by a spring 3Ia. Switch member 3! is caused to contact with member32 and close the circuit 38 at the desired time interval, by a pin 34aon a gear 34 driven by a reducing train of gears 35 from the motor 31.The closing of the switch 3I-32 closes the circuit 38 through solenoid52 and the normally closed switch 4l-M to the magnetic clutch member42a; and solenoid 52 will hold switch 3I32 closed until the circuit isagain opened by pin 42c opening the switch 40-4|.

When circuit 38 is closed the magnetic clutch member 42a is energized,and cam 460 (which is fixed to clutch member 4219) is turned onerevolution; during which the discharge door 23 is first opened and thenclosed; then the feed conveyor 2'! is operated to feed a batch ofmaterial into the machine. When the cam has made one revolution pin 520on clutch member 42?) engages switch member it, and opens circuit38,;thereby stopping rotation of cam 46c, deenergizing solenoid 52, andpermitting switch member 3| to open, and the feed conveyor is stopped.As gear 34% is revolved, at constant speed, stud 34a will again closeswitch 3i-32 at the desired interval of time. By controlling the speedof rotation of gear M a variable time period for operation on thematerial is obtained, while the times required for discharging materialand for feeding in a fresh batch of material remain constant.

We claim:

1. In a machine having a chamber provided with an inlet and a discharge;a processing member in said chamber; means for continuously actuatingthe member; means for feeding material into the inlet; a driving member;means independent of the member actuating means for continuouslyrotating said driving member; a driven member adjacent the drivingmember; remote control means independent of the drivingmember rotatingmeans for intermittently causing the driven member to rotate through onerevolution; and means operated by the driven member for opening andclosing the discharge during the first part of each revolution of thedriven member and for starting and stopping the feed during theremaining part of each said revolution.

2. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, said driving member and saiddriven member comprising a magnetic clutch in circuit with a normallyclosed switch adjacent the driven member adapted to be opened once foreach revolution of the driven member; and said remote control meanscomprising a second normally open switch; and an electric circuitincluding said switches, a source of electric energy, and magnetic meansfor maintaining the second switch closed until the first switch isopened.

3. In a machine as set forth in claim 1, said driving member and saiddriven member comprising a magnetic clutch in circuit with a normallyclosed switch adjacent the driven member adapted to be opened once foreach revolution of the driven member; and said remote control meanscomprising a rotatable disk; 21. second normally open switch adapted tobe closed once on each rotation of the disk; an electric circuitincluding said switches, a source of electric energy, and magnetic meansfor maintaining the second switch closed until the first switch isopened; and means for rotating the disk at different speeds.

RUSSELL LEE BROWN. LEWIS J. WALTERS. SPENCER A. COLEMAN. EDWARD M.BRICKETT.

CPI

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